Throughout the day, for example, in the morning before work or school, many people use an alarm clock or a television to receive news, weather, and traffic. Typically, users tend to suffer through an entire news segment to hear the particular content of interest. General purpose personal computers (PCs) are becoming more commonplace in homes, enabling users to obtain more directed and relevant news without delays. However, general purpose PCs tend to be more costly and bulky than conventional alarm clocks, making them less desirable for distribution throughout the home. Furthermore, the average user must modify their behavior in order to use a general purpose PC as an alarm clock and to obtain news in this fashion.